Derek David game-by-game stats
Unconscious. A cliché that sports fans like to use when a player is performing above and beyond what is thought to be humanly possible has never been more true for McMurry senior third baseman Derek David. In a 3-game set with Concordia-Texas this weekend in Austin, not only did he set the American Southwest Conference single-season record for home runs in a season with 19, but he set an NCAA Division III record for consecutive games with a home run as the all-American has homered safely in seven-straight games.
His streak began on March 25 when he hit a home run against Trinity in San Antonio. Since then, he hit a home run in each of McMurry's conference games with Schreiner last week at home and followed it by hitting five home runs in three games against Concordia Friday and Saturday.
In Saturday's second game, he became the first McMurry player since Craig Richardson to hit three home runs in a game. Richardson did so against Wayland Baptist on Feb. 28, 2006.
David passed Eric Heise of Ohio Wesleyan for the NCAA Division III record. Heise homered in six-straight games from March 8-12, 1998. During this seven-game stretch, David is 18 for 31 (.581), has 10 home runs, 15 runs scored and 20 RBI. He is also carrying an 11-game hitting streak.
The milestones didn't stop there for David. He passed current assistant coach Josh Lee (2004) and Texas Lutheran's Aaron Crais (2005) for the school and ASC record for single-season home runs. Lee and Crais were tied for the previous record of 17. David also passed Lee for second on the all-time McMurry home run list. With his last home run Saturday, he has 34 for his career passing Lee's mark of 33. David trails current teammate Brent Voorhees for the all-time lead who has 45 through Saturday.
“I'm happy for him, it couldn't have happened to a better guy,” said Lee of the new record holder. “He deserves all the accolades he gets because of how hard he works.”
After Lee's solid senior season where he hit 17 home runs, he spent two years in the Detroit Tigers' organization after being drafted in the 30th round. He spent a year as an assistant at Southwestern, but is back home at McMurry and was glad to see that the new single-season home run king bears maroon and white.
“If it was going to be anybody that was going to break the record, I'm glad it's him and someone from our program,” Lee said.
David also moved into second-place all-time on McMury's RBI list. Chris Fritch had 151 runs driven in from 1998-2001. David had 38 RBI as a sophomore in his first year with the team, 61 as a sophomore and has 56 RBI through Saturday's games. That gives him a grand total of 155 with a minimum of eight regular season games remaining.
“Derek is one of the best pure hitters we've had in our program. He has the ability to make adjustments and not let his last at bat affect him,” said head coach Lee Driggers. “He has certainly backed up a 2007 All-America year with another outstanding year. We have been truly blessed by his contributions over the years.”
Through 32 games, David is hitting .440 with 60 runs scored, nine doubles, 19 home runs and 56 RBI. He has tallied 125 total bases and is slugging an ASC-leading .933 for the season.
David will have an opportunity to tie the NCAA all-division record for consecutive games with a home run Tuesday when the team plays Wayland Baptist at 2 p.m.. The NCAA Division II record for a player with home runs in consecutive games is seven while the NCAA Division I record is eight.
As a team McMurry is just seven home runs away from the team conference record of 64. David's teammate Brent Voorhees has 10, Weston Franco has eight and Stephen Derrick & Steven Yurchick each have six.
